FLOODING BE PREPARED

Following the recent floods, Calderdale Council and other organisations want to supportyou to be as prepared as possible for any future floods.

We are holding a series of public meetings to discuss the impact the floods had in the
Upper Calder Valley and what is being done and what is being planned as a result.

The meetings will also highlight what support is available to help you prepare for future floods.

Please join us to find out more.

Todmorden Town Hall – Saturday 13 October 2012 from 11am until 4pmHebden Bridge Town Hall – Monday 29 October 2012 from 3pm until 8pmSt. Michaels Church Hall, Mytholmroyd – Saturday 3 November 2012 from 11am until 4pm

If you were impacted by the recent floods we would like to know how. Please complete
our online questionnaire: let us know how the water got into your home or business and how your property was damaged. The information you provide may help us to improve our response in the future.

One in six properties in England and Wales are at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea or surface water. That’s over 5.5 million properties, and with our changing climate, we are expecting this number to increase. This is why it’s more important than ever to be prepared.

We will be attending the Calderdale Flood Fairs, along with the National Flood Forum, to give advice and guidance on ways to prepare you and your property for flooding.

Know the dangers of flash flooding

Above anything else, the priority in a flood is to keep you and your family safe. As we have seen this summer, rivers like the Calder, Hebden Water and Walsden Water can rise very quickly and with little warning. You may have to act before the emergency services can reach you. Do not put yourselves at risk by walking or driving through fast moving flood waters. Fifteen centimetres (six inches) of fast flowing water can knock an adult over and 60 centimetres (two feet) can lift and sweep away a small lorry or a 4 x 4 vehicle.

Preparing your Flood Plan

You can prepare for flooding by making a flood plan for you and your family. The plan will help find ways to reduce the impact of flooding to your home or business.

Simple steps include:

If you do live or work in an area that it is at risk, find out whether there is a free flood warning service. This provides advance warning of flooding to our customers 24 hours a day by telephone, mobile, fax, text message, or email. To register, call Floodline 0845 988 1188, visit our website, or come and talk to us at one of the Calderdale Flood Fairs.

Check your insurance policy covers flooding. If you are experiencing problems with flood insurance, you may find it useful to contact the National Flood Forum 01299 403055. The British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA) 0870 9501790 may be able to assist with finding a more specialist insurance company who can offer insurance to those who have been affected by flooding.

Know where and how to turn off your gas, electricity and water supplies.

Prepare a flood kit with essential emergency items, such as insurance documents, blankets, wind-up torch, medication and a list of useful contact numbers.

Consider what things you would move first if you received a warning. Are there some things that would be worth keeping upstairs permanently, bearing in mind that flooding can occur extremely quickly?

Find out how to protect your home or business – see our leaflet 'Protect your property for flooding'. If considering buying flood protection products, look for products that have been kite marked so you know they have been tested to certain standards. We would recommend having a full professional survey done in order to assess what type of products might be most effective. Not all products are suitable for all sources of flooding. For example, if you get flooded from groundwater, a flood guard on your door wouldn’t be appropriate.

A good way to be prepared is to complete a personal flood plan and to keep it in a safe place. This allows you to have a lot of the information mentioned above all together, ready to use if there is a flood in your area. Remember that flooding can happen from many sources, including surface water, sewers and drains, as well as rivers, so it is still important to have a flood plan.

Flood Wardens and Flood Groups

Flood Wardens form an important link between the Environment Agency and communities at risk from flooding. They act as “eyes and ears” by updating the Environment Agency about the situation on the ground. Flood wardens are an effective method of passing flood warnings and information to residents in an area at risk from flooding, promoting community cohesion and support during and after flooding. Currently we only have flood wardens in Todmorden and Callis Bridge, therefore we would welcome new volunteers from the Upper Calderdale communities.

If you would like to volunteer as a flood warden, please come and speak to us and our current Upper Calder Valley wardens at the flood fairs, or contact:
Lizzy Haynes, Flood Resilience Team: elizabeth.haynes@environment-agency.gov.uk

The National Flood Forum has a lot of experience of helping to set up and support Flood Groups, which can then play an important role in pursuing important local issues. A representative from the NFF will be running a short workshop at each flood fair to explain how to set up and run an effective flood group.